Google Looking to Sell Motorola Cable Box Business

Google has hired Barclays to help it shop around Motorola's cable set top box business, according to sources cited by Reuters. Google came to own the cable box business when it finalized its purchase of Motorola Mobility earlier this year. Bloomberg's sources say talks are in the early stages, but the sale could fetch Google as much as $2 billion. Earlier this month, Google announced plans to slash Motorola's workforce, relocate its headquarters, consolidate business units, and focus on making high-end mobile devices. Google's new direction for Motorola makes the cable box business unnecessary. Google hasn't confirmed Bloomberg's story, but Motorola attempted to sell the cable business several years ago before it split into two separate companies.